New saints canonized

Pope Leo XIV canonized two new saints during his first canonization ceremony on Sunday, Sept 7, 2025.  

Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager born in London, was canonized as the first millennial saint. He was born in 1991 but died in 2006 from leukemia.  

Acutis, affectionately known as “God’s Influencer,” is famous for his use of coding and website building to spread his faith.  

Brandon Przywara, campus minister of the Mother Theresa Catholic Newman Center, said there has been a lot of excitement around Acutis becoming the first millennial saint.  

“He had a strong devotion to the Eucharist,” Przywara said. “He created a website that tracked down all of the known approved Eucharistic Miracles and Marian Apparitions around the world.  

“The Church declared him the Patron Saint of the Internet.”  

Amelia Massa, a junior secondary ELA major from Hoover, Alabama, said Acutis inspires her to share her beliefs more online. 

 “I can have little ways of being a saint every day, and that’s going to add up,” Massa said. “I don’t have to do these big miracles. 

“It’s so nice to have a modern representation of a saint, because all the saints I’ve learned about have been older saints from these past decades, but this is actually modern. Like it’s for us.” 

Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young Italian man, was canonized as well.  

Frassati was born in 1901 and died in 1925 due to polio. Frassati was known for his devotion to caring for the poor and his love of mountain climbing.  

“I was very excited when I heard they were going to be canonized,” said Emma Weeks, a first-year graduate accounting student from Elberta, Alabama. “When Catholics are confirmed, we choose a saint to be our confirmation saint, which is a saint we feel close to and pray to for their intercession. 

“When I was confirmed in 2021, I chose Pier Giorgio as my confirmation saint, even though at the time he was only Blessed Pier Giorgio, so, hearing that he was going to be canonized was especially meaningful for me.”  

Weeks said since the new saints are representatives for young people, she feels many students at the Newman Center will feel drawn to them in prayer.  

“Personally, since Pier Giorgio is my confirmation saint, I already turn to him often in prayer,” Weeks said. “ 

Because he was a mountain climber, I’ve always connected that image with my own faith journey, asking him to pray for me as I climb the ‘mountain’ of faith in Jesus. 

“His canonization makes me feel like he is continuing his journey alongside me, and now we can celebrate that he has reached the fullness of sainthood in heaven.”  

Przywara said the canonization of these saints, specifically Acutis, impact his ministry greatly.  

“Carlo Acutis has become an example for all young people in the 21st century that Sainthood is possible,” Przywara said. “We should all strive for sainthood.”